Twelve months ago, Brisbane Lions ruckman Oscar McInerney became the latest inductee into one of footy's most unfortunate and storied clubs.
Playing through a significant shoulder injury in a famous preliminary final win over Geelong, McInerney was sidelined for the 2024 AFL Grand Final and forced to watch from the pine as his beloved teammates trounced the Sydney Swans in the decider.
There is a certain synergy then, in a healthy McInerney suiting up to face the Cats in this year's grand final. Not that he wants to talk about it.
"I'm no different to any player in the competition," he said. "It's everyone's dream to get an opportunity to be a part of this week."
"I think last year's irrelevant. Every year, we set out to go as deep as we can, and we've given ourselves an opportunity this year, and I'm just excited to be a part of it.
"I say it all the time. We're so lucky to play footy as our job, and to be in with a chance in the last week of September is just so exciting.
"I'm sure (at) both clubs, every player on the list is excited to embrace this week and enjoy it for what it is."
In the immediate aftermath of last year's drought-breaking premiership, McInerney's infectious joy garnered him a new legion of admirers across the competition, regardless of their allegiance.
It was a lovely reminder of the importance and power of sportsmanship, but true to form, the Victorian refuses to take credit for the moment, instead focusing on the character of the man who replaced him, journeyman Darcy Fort.
"It was incredibly selfless," McInerney said of Fort. "In the moments after winning, he would even think to celebrate with me. He was out there with all the boys, and for him to turn around and come and see me was an incredible moment in both of our careers, and just showed how selfless he is."
Injury, his own form, and the excellent play of Fort, have made this season another challenging one for McInerney, whose character again shines through when assessing such circumstances.
"It's been a different year compared to previous years, but one thing 'Fages' drills into us is taking it week by week and sticking to your process. I've really enjoyed doing that this year, just pounding the rock and trying to get better every week... I live the dream job. I want to do this for as long as I can.
"Luckily enough, I've found myself back in the team, but that's all just from sticking at it and working hard.
"What Darcy's been able to do for the last 20 weeks of the AFL season has been incredible. He's been probably the in-form ruck of the competition, and he's shown how valuable he is to our team, and I can't wait to see what he's gonna do on the big stage, because he executed beautifully last year as well."
The Montrose junior credits medical and performance staff for his late-season resurgence and relative health. With his heartbreaking tale of last year front of mind, McInerney was eager to detail how the club will support those shaping as similar hard luck stories this time around.
Jarrod Berry is one such case, after a second shoulder dislocation in a matter of weeks has likely put pay to his chances of a third straight grand final guernsey.
"'Bez' is an incredible person, and he's always got a smile on his face. Our greatest asset is that we're a really tight-knit group, and we look after each other. That's what we'll do this week. It'll be no different to any other week. We'll wrap our arms around those players that are in the rehab group, continuing to plod away," McInerney said.
One of the many storylines surrounding this iteration of the Lions' line-up is the influence and exuberance of their precocious youth. Ty Gallop took his moments in the recent preliminary final victory over old adversary Collingwood, while the excellence of players like the Ashcroft brothers, as well as Kai Lohmann and Darcy Wilmot, is well documented.
"I think they bring us the energy," he said. "They bring so much excitement and energy to the group. We saw on Saturday night how well they handled the big stage, and I'm sure they're chomping at the bit for the opportunity (to do so again this weekend)."
The older Ashcroft brother, Will, was famously awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his best-on-ground performance in last year's triumph. Ahead of a star-studded field, the father-son pickup dominated, just 12 months on from missing the Lions' 2023 AFL Grand Final defeat at the hands of Collingwood's through an ACL injury that ended his debut season early.
McInerney harbours no doubts that Will's younger brother Levi is primed for a similar impact when he experiences his first taste of 'big dance' action on Saturday.
"They're incredible, the Ashcroft family. They're the ultimate professionals, and they're always doing the work. I've got no doubt Levi will give himself the best opportunity to perform really, really well," he said.
Three appearances in three years means the Lions are old hands at this whole grand final caper now, with significant learnings coming from the week of the 2023 defeat.
"The biggest learning we all had as a group when comparing 2023 with the boys who went through 2024 was just to embrace the week. It's such a special week for footy. It's exciting to get down there early and get amongst it.
"The Lions supporters are just crazy. This week it's just been even bigger. We're really feeling the love from Brisbane city as we go into this week.
"It was so exciting pulling into the car park early this morning and seeing hundreds of them here already. They mean the world to us as players. They're sometimes outnumbered in Melbourne, but they swallow them (opposition fans) with their noise, so it's good to celebrate them this week and the support they give us."
For all of the pleasantries offered in his address this morning, McInerney is hardly naive to the challenge fellow modern heavyweights, Geelong, pose on the weekend, but the veteran big man backs his club's processes to stand up.
"They've been the in-form team of the competition, but we've just got to stick to our process and continue to back in our plans, and go and try and execute it as best we can. Our mindset has been the same from week one: just to get better and show improvement every week. We've got an opportunity this week to show that we've improved again."
The Lions will be vying for back-to-back flags come Saturday, while the Cats can make it two victories in four years. The winner will join Hawthorn as the second team with five premierships in the AFL era.
